Exploring Atlanta’s Historic Biltmore Ballrooms and Former Hotel

The Biltmore Ballrooms in Midtown Atlanta are one of the city’s most striking examples of early 20th-century architecture and a key stop on any architecture and heritage trail. While the original Biltmore Hotel no longer operates as a hotel, the building still anchors Atlanta history with its ornate ballrooms, restored details, and prominent Peachtree Street presence.

If you live in Atlanta, are visiting, or are mapping out a culture-focused day in the city, understanding the story of the Biltmore helps you see Midtown with new eyes.

Where the Biltmore Fits Into Atlanta’s Architectural Story

Opened in the 1920s, the Biltmore Hotel was designed as a grand destination in what is now Midtown. Like other landmark hotels from this era, it combined:

• Elaborate ballrooms for dances, galas, and civic events
• Formal lobbies and public rooms with decorative plasterwork and chandeliers
• A sense of “destination architecture” that drew both locals and out-of-town visitors

Over time, the hotel changed hands and uses, and the guest rooms were eventually converted to office and commercial space. What remains today as the Biltmore Ballrooms are the restored event spaces on the lower levels, which still show off the building’s original glamour and craftsmanship.

For anyone interested in Atlanta’s arts, culture, and history, the Biltmore illustrates:

• How Midtown shifted from residential and hotel use to a mixed business and cultural district
• How historic preservation and adaptive reuse can keep a building active instead of demolishing it
• The ornate design trends that shaped early high-end hospitality in the South

Location and Basic Orientation

Biltmore Ballrooms (in the historic Biltmore building)
817 W Peachtree St NW
Atlanta, GA 30308

The Biltmore sits in the heart of Midtown Atlanta, just a few blocks from:

• North Avenue and Midtown MARTA stations
• Georgia Tech campus
• Major Midtown office towers and cultural sites

For Atlanta residents, the Biltmore is often woven into everyday life—visible during commutes along West Peachtree or as a backdrop for weddings, corporate events, and photos.

Architecture: What to Look For When You Visit

Even if you’re not attending an event, you can appreciate the exterior architecture and surrounding streetscape as part of a self-guided heritage walk.

Exterior Character

From the outside, the Biltmore reflects early 20th-century Beaux-Arts and Renaissance Revival influences commonly used in grand hotels of the era:

• Symmetrical façade with strong vertical lines
• Use of stone and brick to create a stately, formal appearance
• Decorative cornices and window surrounds that give the building depth and texture

Walking around the block, look for how the building steps back and integrates with the Midtown street grid, contrasting with newer glass-and-steel high-rises nearby.

Interior Highlights (Ballrooms)

The interior ballrooms are the architectural stars. While regular public drop-in access is limited, photos from events and scheduled tours (when available) reveal:

• Tall, coffered ceilings with decorative plaster
• Crystal chandeliers and formal lighting
• Ornate columns and arches framing the space
• Patterned floors and formal symmetry typical of historic grand hotels

These details make the Biltmore an important example of Atlanta’s pre-war luxury architecture, often contrasted with more modern, minimal designs in Buckhead and Downtown.

The Biltmore as Part of an Atlanta Heritage Trail

If you’re building your own Architecture and Heritage Trail through Atlanta, the Biltmore pairs naturally with other Midtown and nearby landmarks.

Suggested Midtown Walking Route

You can easily include the Biltmore in a half-day Midtown history walk:

1. Fox Theatre (660 Peachtree St NE)
   • Iconic 1920s movie palace with Moorish and Egyptian Revival design.
2. The Georgian Terrace (659 Peachtree St NE)
   • Another historic hotel with early 20th-century grandeur.
3. Walk south along Peachtree St and then west toward West Peachtree St
4. Biltmore Ballrooms / Former Biltmore Hotel (817 W Peachtree St NW)
   • Focus on the building’s exterior and its role in Midtown’s evolution.
5. Continue toward Georgia Tech’s Historic District
   • Red-brick academic buildings show a different architectural tradition from a similar era.

This route gives a clear sense of how Atlanta grew northward from Downtown and how different architectural styles coexisted as the city expanded.

Historic Hotel, Modern Use: What’s There Now?

Today, the building often called The Biltmore is no longer a traditional hotel. Instead, it has been adaptively reused, a common Atlanta pattern for older buildings.

• Ballrooms and event space: Used for weddings, galas, corporate events, and photo shoots.
• Upper floors: Converted to office or commercial space, rather than guest rooms.

For locals, this is a useful example of how historic preservation often works in Atlanta:
rather than functioning exactly as it did in the 1920s, the building has been updated to meet contemporary needs while keeping its architectural identity.

Planning a Visit: Practical Details for Atlantans and Visitors

Even though the former hotel doesn’t host overnight guests, you can still integrate the Biltmore into your time in the city.

Getting There

• By MARTA:

  • North Avenue Station (Red/Gold lines) is a short walk east of the Biltmore.
  • Midtown Station is also within walking distance, especially if you’re pairing the visit with other Midtown stops.

• By Car:

  • Midtown has multiple public parking decks and street parking.
  • Be prepared for event-related congestion if there’s a wedding or large function at the Biltmore or nearby venues.

When You Can See the Interior

Access to the ballrooms is typically event-based. Common options include:

• Attending a wedding, fundraiser, gala, or corporate event hosted there
• Participating in citywide architecture or preservation tours when they include the Biltmore on their routes
• Occasionally, open houses or venue showings (usually for event planning, not general tourism)

If your goal is purely architectural appreciation, it’s often easiest to:

• Focus on the exterior during a Midtown walk
• Pair your day with publicly accessible historic interiors like the Fox Theatre’s tours, which are scheduled more regularly

Biltmore Ballrooms vs. Historic Hotels That Still Operate

For people specifically interested in historic hotel stays in Atlanta, it’s helpful to distinguish between the Biltmore and other buildings.

*These are general examples of historic-style or historically significant hotels in Atlanta; availability and policies vary by property.

For an architecture and heritage trail, the Biltmore is still valuable even without hotel operations, because it shows:

• How a landmark hotel can find a second life
• How Midtown balances preservation with dense new development

Tips for Including the Biltmore in an Arts, Culture, and History Day

If you want to dive deep into Atlanta’s architectural and cultural scene, here’s how the Biltmore can fit into a broader plan:

1. Combine Architecture With Performing Arts

• Start near Fox Theatre for a morning tour.
• Walk through Midtown’s historic hotels and office buildings.
• Continue to the Biltmore to see its exterior and surrounding streetscape.
• End your day with an evening performance at a Midtown or Downtown venue.

2. Pair with Museum Visits

Midtown is home to major cultural institutions, so you can:

• Visit the High Museum of Art, Museum of Design Atlanta (MODA), or other nearby museums.
• Walk south through Midtown’s historic corridors, including Peachtree and West Peachtree.
• Use the Biltmore as a visual case study in how architecture and design trends from the early 1900s still shape today’s city.

3. Use It as a Learning Stop for Kids or Students

For Atlanta parents, teachers, or university groups:

• The Biltmore is a strong example of adaptive reuse, which can help students understand how cities evolve.
• You can compare it to newer Midtown towers and historic campus buildings at Georgia Tech to show different periods of Atlanta development.

How the Biltmore Fits Into Atlanta’s Preservation Landscape

Across Atlanta, some historic buildings have been demolished, while others have been rehabilitated or repurposed. The Biltmore stands out as:

• A high-visibility success story in Midtown
• An example of preserving ornate interiors in a neighborhood dominated by newer construction
• A reminder that older structures can remain economically viable without sacrificing character

For anyone exploring Atlanta’s architecture and heritage trails, the Biltmore helps answer a key question:
How does a fast-growing city keep its history visible while still building upward and outward?

By spending a little time with the Biltmore—whether walking past, attending an event, or studying its role in Midtown—you get a clearer sense of how Atlanta’s arts, culture, and history are written into its buildings, not just its museums.